Taco Bell Employee Tells Cops: ‘I’m Not Serving You’

By Blake Neff

An Alabama Taco Bell employee has been fired after telling police officers they were not welcome in the restaurant and would not be served.

Two Lee County sheriff’s deputies were visiting a Taco Bell in Phenix City Saturday when they received an unexpected reception. Instead of taking their order, a cashier told the deputies that because they were police they would not be served. The deputies were initially so surprised they asked if the cashier was joking.

“No, I’m not serving you,” the cashier replied, according to Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones, who gave a statement to local WTVM News.

According to a Facebook post by Tammy Bush Mayo, wife to a Lee County deputy and the first person to describe the incident, a woman approached the cashier and said that if the cops had been served, she would have asked for a refund because she didn’t want to eat alongside police. (RELATED: Burger King Manager Fired After Allegedly Insulting Cops)

“I’m very disappointed that simply because they were uniformed law enforcement officers that our deputies were treated in such negative fashion,” Jones said. “We pride ourselves in giving people basic respect and only ask the same in return.”

Jones attempted to downplay the incident, saying it was “disturbing” but paled in comparison to the murder of three police in Baton Rouge Sunday. He added that the incident was likely the work of a rogue, disgruntled employee and he encouraged the community not to blame Taco Bell as a company. (RELATED: Florida Cop Refused Service At Arby’s)

Jones’ interpretation appears to have been justified, as a Taco Bell corporate spokeswoman announced Sunday the employee responsible had already been identified and fired.

“In the course of the investigation at the Taco Bell in Phenix City, Tacala, the franchise owner of that location, has terminated the employee who refused service to two Lee County Deputies on July 16th,” the statement from Laura Nedbal says. ” Tacala has contacted the Lee County Sheriff’s Department to apologize directly to the two Deputies and assure them of their ongoing support of law enforcement.”

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